Kindly help with I.D.

[hahnewald]

Any help with an I.D. of the object in the pics will be greatly appreciated. Was collected in the surf in Cape Town, South Africa, where I often pick up  fossilized shark teeth, horse teeth, bone fragments, earbones, etc. Have not found any similar object before.

 

Thanks. 

[Rockwood]

It does look like bony plate from something. Any idea for the age?

[Vieira]

A very worn bone fragment. Very difficult to id. Can be turtle...or something different.

[Miocene_Mason]

Could be any piece of bone. I could imagine it being a piece of a epiphysis

[Rockwood]

4 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Could be any piece of bone. I could imagine it being a piece of a epiphysis

Seems overly robust, and the cancelous bone being in a distinct layer sort of seem to contradict the thought in my mind.

[Miocene_Mason]

1 minute ago, Rockwood said:

Seems overly robust,

Could be a big juvenile whale

 

1 minute ago, Rockwood said:

cancelous bone being in a distinct layer sort of seem to contradict the thought in my mind.

Exactly what draws mine to it, typically spongy bone in the middle and more compact bone on the outside, though sometimes less so on the bumpy side.

[Rockwood]

2 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

Exactly what draws mine to it, typically spongy bone in the middle and more compact bone on the outside, though sometimes less so on the bumpy side.

Agreed. 

I was referencing the any bone angle there though. 

[Plax]

put me in the croc scute camp (if there is one). Just a guess of course; like everyone else.

[JohnBrewer]

2 hours ago, Plax said:

put me in the croc scute camp (if there is one). Just a guess of course; like everyone else.

My thought too

[Rockwood]

2 hours ago, Plax said:

like everyone else.

Okay 

[Plax]

You basically suggested it in your first comment Rockwood! We all comment based on our experience. Whodaman, for instance, has obviously seen many pieces of a epiphysis and the shape suggested it in his mind. I see sponges where other folks see rocks. Am sure that when someone says "this is a ________" it means a definite ID. If we didn't guess initially then the inquiries would go without response until someone had a definite ID. The guessing leads to the ID by suggesting things in our minds. So, long story short, I think this is a croc scute but am not positive. It could be what anyone else has guessed also.

[Rockwood]

10 minutes ago, Plax said:

You basically suggested it in your first comment Rockwood! We all comment based on our experience. Whodaman, for instance, has obviously seen many pieces of a epiphysis and the shape suggested it in his mind. I see sponges where other folks see rocks. Am sure that when someone says "this is a ________" it means a definite ID. If we didn't guess initially then the inquiries would go without response until someone had a definite ID. The guessing leads to the ID by suggesting things in our minds. So, long story short, I think this is a croc scute but am not positive. It could be what anyone else has guessed also.

 

We Mainers typically don't use many words. I should have quoted croc. camp, but that's sort of what I intended to say. 

[hahnewald]

Thanks to all for the input. Was secretly hoping it would be a croc scute...

[Darko]

It could be a croc or gator osteoderm.

Nice find!